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Charlie Crist opens 21-point lead over Ken Welch in final weeks of mayoral campaign
Florida Politics
Crist
CristUpdated Oct 16, 2026, 3:12 PM ET
Ken Welch, a Democrat who has been mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida, since 2022 after 20 years on the Pinellas County Commission, faces Charlie Crist in the 2026 mayoral runoff.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Ken Welch.
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Recent media coverage for Ken Welch.
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Data centers not allowed in St. Petersburg, memo says
The city’s code does not list data centers as a permitted use, and therefore data centers as a standalone facility are prohibited.
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Weedon Island, school closures, mayoral debate, City Center parking, Clearwater Jazz Holiday, Children’s Network of Hillsborough
stpetecatalyst.comCrist
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Crist, Welch differ on issues during only televised debate
The only one-on-one debate between incumbent Mayor Ken Welch and challenger Charlie Crist aired on Spectrum Bay News 9.
WUSFCrist -
Welch, Crist spar and compare opinions in mayoral debate
Charlie Crist and incumbent Ken Welch spar over St. Pete’s future in a Spectrum News 9–moderated mayoral debate. Crist touts endorsements from all four living former St.
stpetecatalyst.comCrist -
St. Petersburg Bans Standalone Data Centers Under Existing Zoning Code
The article reports that Planning Director Derek Kilborn told Mayor Welch (via memo on Oct. 9) that St.
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Crist, Welch address Pride murals, anti-DEI law in St. Petersburg mayoral debate
In the St. Petersburg mayoral debate, challenger Charlie Crist pressed for a more progressive approach on LGBTQ+ rights and free speech, highlighting his endorsements from former living mayors and local City Council…
watermarkoutnews.comCrist -
Welch, Crist spar over St. Pete’s future in final debate
Context: Final, only televised debate before the November election between Mayor Ken Welch and former Gov. Charlie Crist. No pre-scripted questions or reading points.
tampabayreporter.comCrist
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- August 15, 1964
- Birthplace
- St. Petersburg, Florida
- Education
- Lakewood Senior High School
University of South Florida (bachelor's degree in accounting)
Florida A&M University (MBA)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Kenneth T. Welch, born in St. Petersburg, Florida, on August 15, 1964, belongs to the third generation of his family to live in the city, and his childhood neighborhood, the Gas Plant District, was later cleared for Tropicana Field.
His father, David, sat on the St. Petersburg city council and founded an accounting firm. Welch attended local schools through Lakewood Senior High School, studied accounting at the University of South Florida, and later earned an MBA from Florida A&M University.
He worked as an accountant at Florida Power Corporation and as technology manager at his father's accounting firm. Welch is married to Donna, and they have two daughters.
Career
Welch won the first election for Pinellas County Commission District 7, becoming the second African-American county commissioner in Pinellas County history, and he sat on the commission for 20 years.
In the 2021 St. Petersburg mayoral election he beat Robert Blackmon in the November 2 general election and took office on January 6, 2022, becoming the first African-American mayor of St. Petersburg.
As mayor he restarted the request for proposals for the Tropicana Field site to include a Rays stadium and affordable housing, raised the city's down payment assistance for first-time buyers to $60,000 from $40,000, and created a monthly stipend for lower-paid city employees subject to residency rules.
2026 race
Welch is seeking a second term in St. Petersburg's officially nonpartisan mayoral election. In the first round, held on August 18, 2026, no candidate won a majority, sending Welch and former Florida governor Charlie Crist, also a registered Democrat, to a runoff scheduled for November 3, 2026.